The present disclosure relates generally to nanoscale electronics, and more particularly to control layers used in nanoscale electronic switching devices.
Electronic switching devices including two electrodes (for example, a bottom electrode and a top electrode) and an electronic switching layer/film at the junction of the two electrodes are known. Such devices may be useful, for example, in the fabrication of devices based on electrical switching, such as molecular wire crossbar interconnects for signal routing and communications, molecular wire crossbar memory, molecular wire crossbar logic employing programmable logic arrays, multiplexers/demultiplexers for molecular wire crossbar networks, molecular wire transistors, and the like. Such devices may further be useful, for example, in the fabrication of devices based on optical switching, such as displays, electronic books, rewritable media, electrically tunable optical lenses, electrically controlled tinting for windows and mirrors, optical crossbar switches (for example, for routing signals from one of many incoming channels to one of many outgoing channels), and the like.
The choice of materials used in the fabrication of electronic switching devices may be limited because some electrode materials may be essentially incompatible with some switching materials. The term “incompatible,” as referred to herein, may mean that the electrode and the switching materials are physically and/or chemically unstable when brought in contact, or the term may mean that the switching material exhibits substantially uncontrolled, undesirable, and/or non-existent electronic switching when incorporated with the electrode materials in an electronic switching device.
The fabrication of devices that incorporate the electronic switching devices often include subsequent processing steps beyond the formation of the device. In some instances however, the materials used for the switching layer/film of the device may be unstable to withstand such subsequent processing steps.
As such, it would be desirable to provide a nanoscale electronic device that includes controllable and compatible materials that are also suitable for use with subsequent processing procedures.